We’re not even halfway through 2018, and already we’ve seen three films break into the domestic top thirty for all-time opening weekends, two of which eclipsed the $200 million-plus milestone.
Unsurprisingly, the prosperous motion picture trio all came from the superhero genre. Deadpool 2 ($125M) fell just short of setting the opening weekend record for an R-rated movie, which, ironically, is held by its predecessor, with $132 million. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther ($202M), meanwhile, handily made its way into the top ten, earning the all-time biggest opening weekend haul for February. And while there’s no denying the impressiveness of T’Challa’s debut, it still pales in comparison to Avengers: Infinity War.
The Anthony and Joe Russo-directed blockbuster grossed an unprecedented $250 million-plus opening stateside, earning it the distinction of being the record holder for the largest opening weekend of all time domestically ($257M). Incredibly, however, we’re now on the precipice of witnessing the most disappointing debut of the year in the form of Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The Hollywood Reporter has published an article regarding the Ron Howard-helmed feature and they’re saying it may struggle to hit the $110 million mark stateside this weekend. Considering that Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($247M) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($220M) currently sit second and third, respectively, on the all-time opening weekend list, Solo’s inability to climb into the top forty is indeed a shock.
Granted, while the tenth entry into the Star Wars filmography isn’t a part of the main trio of trilogies, even Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ($155M) somehow managed to crack the top twenty. Should current projections hold true, Solo: A Star Wars Story, which currently sits at 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, will soon have the distinction of owning the lowest opening weekend haul for a film from that galaxy far, far away, with estimates now pegging it at $105 million. Of course, it’s still early and things could turn around, but right now, it’s not looking good.